Electrical connectors are used to electrically connect one component to another component. Depending upon the particular application, an electrical connector may be required to satisfy certain criteria, such as, contact resistance, compliance or deflection distance, force required to achieve compliance, ease of assembly, and cost to manufacture.
A sensor is a device which senses the state of an environment. For example, a sensor can sense the temperature or pressure. Sensors can be used in vehicles, such as automobiles, to sense the temperature of the engine or the pressure in a braking system. The sensor can be connected to a processing unit, such as, a computer, by wires and a printed circuit board. Economic considerations make it desirable for the sensor to be connected to the processing unit in a convenient and low cost manner.
In one design, a flexible strip has been used as a connector. The strip is mechanically secured by solder. In another design, wire bonding to lead frames is used to provide the electrical connection. Both of these designs yield a fairly large package and require a complex assembly process.
In view of the foregoing, there exist various needs in the art. One such need is for an electrical connector which is easily mounted to provide a reliable electrical connection. Another need is for a compact, low profile electrical connector.